Why Are We So Tired? A Wake-Up Call for Indian Developers

I've been in tech for two decades now, and there's one thing I keep hearing from friends and colleagues: "Yaar, I'm always tired." We blame it on deadlines, late-night debugging sessions, or that extra cup of chai that kept us up. But what if the real culprit is something we never thought about?

A few months ago, I got my blood work done. Everything looked fine except one number that shocked me — my Vitamin D was alarmingly low. The doctor asked, "Do you go out in the sun?" I laughed. I live in Bengaluru. We have sunshine almost every day. How could I be deficient?

Turns out, I'm not alone. Studies suggest that anywhere from 70 to 90 percent of Indians don't have enough Vitamin D. In a country blessed with sunlight, we're somehow running on empty.

The indoor generation

Think about your typical day. You wake up, maybe catch some morning light while sipping chai, then you're at your desk. AC on. Curtains drawn because of the glare on your monitor. Lunch at your desk or in the office cafeteria. By the time you step out, it's evening, and the sun is already setting.

Sound familiar?

We've optimised our lives for productivity but forgotten something basic — our bodies still need sunlight. Not through windows (glass blocks the UV rays we need), not for five minutes while walking to grab coffee, but actual, direct exposure.

It's not just about bones

When I first heard "Vitamin D deficiency," I thought it was an old person's problem. Weak bones, calcium issues, that sort of thing. But the symptoms hit different when you're in your 30s or 40s working in tech:

Constant fatigue that sleep doesn't fix. Brain fog when you're trying to focus on code. Feeling low or irritable for no clear reason. Getting sick more often than you used to. Muscle aches after sitting all day.

I used to blame all of this on stress. Maybe you do too.

The vegetarian angle

Here's another thing — if you're vegetarian (like a large portion of us are), you're already at a disadvantage. Most natural food sources of Vitamin D are non-vegetarian. Fish, eggs, meat. Vegetarian sources exist but they're limited, and fortified foods aren't as common in India as they are in Western countries.

So we're indoors all day AND our diet doesn't compensate. Not a great combination.

What actually helped me

I'm not a doctor, so please get your own levels checked before doing anything. But here's what made a difference for me:

I started taking a 15-minute walk in the morning, before 10 AM when the sun isn't too harsh. No sunscreen for those 15 minutes (controversial, I know, but that's what allows Vitamin D synthesis). I moved my chai time to my balcony instead of scrolling through my phone indoors.

My doctor also put me on supplements for a few months to bring my levels back up. The difference wasn't overnight, but after about six weeks, I noticed I wasn't dragging myself through the afternoon anymore.

A small request

If you're reading this and thinking "this sounds like me," please get a simple blood test done. It costs a few hundred rupees and could explain a lot of what you've been feeling.

We spend so much time optimising our code, our systems, our workflows. Maybe it's time we looked at the one system that runs everything else — our own body.

Take care of yourself. Step outside today.